Chapter 111: Construction
Time quietly passed. In the blink of an eye, over a month later.
Midsummer's blazing sun hung high. Sunset arrived much later than usual.
Evening, Hitsugaya concluded daily duties, departing Tenth Division barracks alone.
He didn't return to his own residence, instead turning toward a secluded path outside the barracks, disappearing from view in an instant.
This fleeting spiritual pressure fluctuation was clearly detected by two people in the office courtyard.
Shiba Isshin drained his teacup, yet his gaze followed the direction where Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure vanished, his face maintaining its characteristic casual smile.
"Out again..."
Matsumoto Rangiku rested her chin on one hand, her other hand unconsciously playing with golden hair hanging beside her shoulder.
"Recently it's been like this. Every evening, he vanishes without trace."
She turned her head toward her division captain, tone carrying some concern, asking with confusion.
"Captain, won't you ask? Hitsugaya's still young after all. What if he overtrain and injures himself, or goes down some wrong path..."
Shiba Isshin laughed heartily, waving his hand.
"Don't worry about that. Though Hitsugaya's young, his temperament proves steadier than many Shinigami. He knows what he's doing."
Pausing briefly, he set the teacup on the table.
"Remember a month after joining the division, he spent almost his entire salary buying a communication device?"
"You mean... Tsukasa?"
Matsumoto Rangiku blinked, immediately comprehending.
"Who else could it be?"
Shiba Isshin leaned back in his chair, tone leisurely and emotional.
"That Tsukasa kid—even the Captain-Commander personally instructs him. Hitsugaya training together with him will only bring benefits."
"Moreover, Hitsugaya's recently handled documents show meticulous detail far exceeding when he first joined. This probably also reflects Tsukasa's influence."
"With Hitsugaya in the division, I finally don't need worrying about the Tenth Division captain position lacking successors."
"Wait, hold on! According to seat rankings, I should be next captain!"
Matsumoto Rangiku's expression showed surprise as she straightened, hair swaying with the movement.
Not that she harbored any aspirations toward the captain position internally. The lieutenant position already satisfied her completely.
What surprised her—Hitsugaya, barely graduated, had earned such high evaluation from Shiba Isshin.
"What are you talking about! With someone like you as captain, the Tenth Division would be completely finished!"
Shiba Isshin glanced at her sideways, mouth corners pulling into unconcealed mockery.
"You don't actually think after some time passes, you'll still match Hitsugaya, do you?"
"If I wasn't remembering old times, eventually your seat positions would need switching."
"Just be grateful, Rangiku!"
He deliberately drew out his tone, eyes flashing with mischievous teasing.
"Captain!"
"Ha ha ha!"
Matsumoto Rangiku glared at him indignantly. Shiba Isshin had already laughed heartily while standing, making his escape.
That other location.
Underground training ground.
Hitsugaya's figure appeared beside the entrance stone slab, movements practiced as he brought the slab down.
Initially every two or three days, later almost every evening he'd come.
The underground training ground had become his most familiar place in Seireitei aside from division barracks.
His figure naturally descended from above. Footsteps barely stabilized when he spotted Suoh's figure in the garden.
Currently he wasn't wearing shihakusho, only plain-colored simple garments with sleeves casually rolled to forearms, holding a hoe in hand.
Seeing Hitsugaya's arrival, Suoh looked up with a smile.
"Hitsugaya, you're here."
"Yes."
"What are you planning to plant today?"
Hitsugaya walked forward, placing his zanpakuto on the stone table, also picking up a custom-sized hoe from the wall corner.
"I got some medicinal herb seeds from the Fourth Division. Let's see if they'll grow here."
"This space is so large, spirit particle density so abundant. Not planting more things would be wasteful."
Suoh used the hoe tip to point toward several plain white cloth bags beside the field.
One could only say the two original owners had chosen their location exceptionally well, blessing later generations.
The underground space's high spirit particle concentration, constant illumination, and almost completely sealed environment.
No seasons or day-night cycles, no harmful insects could survive here.
Suoh only needed using Kikou to adjust light intensity and spectrum simulating different seasons to precisely control plant flowering and fruiting times.
With proper operation, year-round uninterrupted harvesting basically proved achievable.
"Okay, I'll help."
Hitsugaya nodded, saying no more, taking up the shovel.
The two stopped talking, only laboring side by side.
One tilling soil, one sowing seeds.
Half an hour later, several bags of seeds had been completely scattered.
Suoh walked to the field head, inserting several carved wooden signs carefully labeled with medicinal herb names and planting dates.
Next he raised his hand, palm emanating pale golden radiance.
Light spread like thin gauze, laying a nearly transparent light curtain above the furrows.
After the light curtain stabilized, Suoh withdrew his hand.
"Next just periodic watering until they sprout."
"Come on, let's get water!"
"Alright."
The two proceeded one after another toward the nearby pond. Bamboo buckets sat beside the water.
The pond's water drew from deeper underground water veins, crystal clear to the bottom, flowing with golden luminescence.
While immersing his bucket into water, Suoh spoke.
"The first few days after this pond was finished, the water remained murky. Took quite a while settling to become this clear."
"How long did digging such a large pool take?"
"Dig? This wasn't dug."
Suoh lifted the full bucket, mouth corners mysteriously smiling.
"I directly used Hadō Number Fifty-Seven: Daichi Tenyō."
Hitsugaya's movements paused, his bucket-carrying motion stopping.
"Daichi Tenyō? Isn't that..."
Suoh picked up the conversation, tone relaxed.
"A Hadō that controls earth and rock for attacks. Kido applications depend entirely on intention."
He extended his hand, making a twisting gesture in the air.
"I needed a pond but didn't want spending over ten days digging, so I thought of using kido to directly twist this area into a large pit."
"Impressive..."
Hitsugaya imagined that scene—Suoh standing beside the pond, spiritual pressure like invisible hands penetrating earth layers, ground being hollowed into a giant crater amid tremors. He sighed emotionally.
This admiration came from the heart. Hadō instruction always emphasized maximizing destructive power.
No one ever mentioned Hadō could be used this way.
The two carried water buckets back beside the field, beginning careful irrigation.
After watering the final furrow, Suoh straightened, eyes brightening as a good idea occurred.
"Conveniently, I'm planning to dig several cellars soon for storing medicinal materials and supplies."
"I'll draw blueprints for you shortly. Consider this tonight's evening lesson after sparring."
"Alright, leave it to me!"
Hitsugaya responded enthusiastically, eyes immediately igniting with eager light.
His voice overflowed with excitement and anticipation for new challenges.
Watching his highly motivated appearance, Suoh couldn't help laughing lightly.
"Such enthusiasm—excellent, excellent! Keep it up!"
Subsequently the two returned to the cottage. Suoh retrieved paper and brush, meticulously sketching structural diagrams conceived in his mind while detailing construction and kido release key points.
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